Handling fluent material



May 28, 1968 F. o. PAULSON HANDLING FLUENT MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Sept. 2, 1.966

INVENTOR FRANK 0. PAULSON Q B) W M Qpmh ATTORNEYS wst y 28, 1968 F. o.PAULSON 3,385,071

HANDLING FLUENT MAT ER IAL :LLed Sept. 2, 1966 3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORFRANK 0. PAULSO/V a gwwh HANDLING FLUENT MATERIAL Filed Sept. 2, 1966 3Sheets-Sheet 3 nvvs/vron FRANK 0 PAULSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,385,071 HANDLING FLUENT MATERIAL Frank O. Paulson, 308 ParkwoodEstates Drive, Charleston, S.C. 29407 Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No.577,069 12 Claims. (Cl. 61-63) This invention relates tomaterials-handling equipment and, more particularly, to hydraulicsystems for delivering and building up an accumulation of solidmaterials carried in a fluid mixture.

In discharging fiuent conveyed solids at a point Where a. controlledbuildup of the solid materials is desired, for example in buildinglevees with the discharge from suction dredges, it is necessary tomaterially reduce the kinetic energy stored in the fluent mixture as itdischarges from the pipeline in order to reduce the scouring and washingeffect resulting from the excess water in the system. Various means havebeen employed for this purpose. One of the more effective means is thatdescribed and claimed in Letters Patent No. 2,652,695 granted to me onSept. 22, 1953, to which reference may be had for a more full andcomplete description of both the principle of operation of the energyabsorbing impulse wheel and its use in my levee building machine.

In this arrangement the fluid mixture discharged from the dredgepipeline is directed against cup shaped buckets mounted on the peripheryof a rotatable impulse wheel. By braking the impulse wheel, the kineticenergy of the discharged fluid mixture is eifectively absorbed and themixture falls to the fill area with a materially reduced velocity. Thetotal amount of fluid in the mixture is still present however and isdeposited along with the solid material. An undesirable amount ofwashing still exists when this fluid runs off the fill area.

I have found in the practice of my aforesaid invention that the densersolid matter is carried along at the bottom of the dredge pipeline andwith a velocity appreciably less than the lighter liquid portion. Afterstriking the cup shaped buckets of the impulse wheel most of the heaviersolid matter drops straight downwardly while the lighter liquid portion,at a greater velocity, tends to issue uniformly from the buckets in aperipheral sheet. When the buckets are constructed with a smalltransverse oval configuration most of the liquid portion will then issueto the sides.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a means to catchthe aforesaid lighter liquid portions issuing to the sides and convey itto a separate location thereby further reducing the scouring and washingeffect on the solid materials being built up.

The objects and advantages of the present invention, and itsconstruction and arrangement of parts, will be further apparent from aconsideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings,wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout theseveral views:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged side elevation view, partially in section, showingthe invention in relation to an energy absorbing impulse wheel can beclaimed and described in US. Patent No. 2,652,695;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the invention of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the invention in use in building a leveewith a dredge discharge line rigged out on a boom from a floating barge;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the invention ap- 7 plied to thelevee building machine of US. Patent No.

2,652,695; and,

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the apparatus in FIG. 5.

In the drawings, the numeral 11 designates generally an energy absorbingimpulse wheel having a plurality of cup shaped buckets 12 peripherallysecured thereto and rotatably mounted by the shaft 16 in bearings 17 tothe truss members 18, 19 and 21. These truss members form a part of thefluid mixture conveying system and are shown by way of illustrationonly. They may be altered as required to support the impulse wheel inappropriate relationship to the nozzle 9.

The basic operation of the impulse wheel is not a part of this inventionand is not described or shown in full detail. As a point inillustration, the speed of rotation of the buckets on the impulse wheelmust be controlled and held, as by braking the impulse wheel, to anoptimum speed, normally to a peripheral speed of approximately one halfthe velocity of the fluid mixture striking them. This brakingarrangement can be obtained by any conventional means.

FIGS. 1 and 3 graphically illustrate how the fluid mixture 50 tends toseparate when striking the buckets 12 into a predominantly liquidportion 51 issuing lateral- 1y to each side and a predominantly solidsportion 52 tending to drop vertically downward. The substance of theinvention resides in a splash plate and trough member, designated 40,placed on each side of the wheel 11, outwardly of the truss members 18and 19 to collect the predominantly liquid portion 51, of the fluidmixture 50 that issues laterally from the buckets. The member 40 mayeither be supported from the shaft 16 by bearings 41, as shown in thedrawings, or otherwise rigidly attached, as by bolting, to the trussmember 19. The member 40 consists of anessentially vertically suspendedsplash plate part 42 having its bottom edges turned inwardly to form aliquid collecting trough portion 43. The splash plate part 42 conformsgenerally to the shape of the lower portion of the impulse wheel and isonly necessary to be placed outwardly of those buckets 12 absorbing theenergy from the flow of the fluid mixture from the nozzle.

The trough 43 slopes downwardly and extends rearwardly terminating in afitting 44 to telescopically receive one leg of a Y-shaped conduitmember 45. This Y-shaped member 45 combines the liquid flow from bothside trough members 40 into a single discharge line 46 delivering theliquid portion to a place that does not wash the fill area 53 beingbuilt up. If discharge of the liquid portion is desired at a greaterdistance any number of conduit sections can be added. One or more crossbars 47 form a lateral brace between the trough members 40 and a bracketarrangement 48, see FIG. 4, is used to support the Y-shaped member 45.

In FIG. 4 a dredge discharge line 1 is supported by a boom 56 rigged outfrom a floating barge 57 moored in a stream 58 and moved along in adirection parallel to the levee building line by normal anchor andmooring gear not shown. The impulse wheel 11 fitted with rough members40 is supported at the outer end of the boom by the truss members 18 and19, see FIG. 1. As the dredge discharge mixture is delivered from nozzle9 the solid matter 52 drops down to build up the levee 53 while thewater 51 caught by the troughs is discharged well away from the newlydeposited fill and on the side toward the barge to readily drain backinto the stream 58.

When the invention is applied to my levee building machine, shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, it is necessary to alterthe outflow lines since theorientation of the dredge dis charge line 1 with respect to the leveefill area is entirely 0 different. In this instance the outflow linemust lead off to one or both sides rather than rearwardly. In thepreferred arrangement an L-shaped conduit member 59 is fitted to eachtrough member 49 and extends outwardly at each side of the machinedischarging the liquid portion 51 to each side of the levee fill area53. Bracket arms 60 support the conduits 59 in the proper position. Theconduit 59 is extended down the slope of the levee as far as required,ending in a fan shaped discharge 61, with a lip 62, the purpose of whichis to spread the fluid 61 into a thin sheet of water beyond the levee,thereby decreasing the washing action of the fluid 51 on the slope ofthe levee. It is understood, however, that an F-shaped conduit member(not shown) could combine the liquid from both troughs and discharge itto one side through the extending leg of the F-shaped conduit should itbe undesirable to discharge any water to the other side.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense. This improved apparatus has proved to be highly beneficial andefiicient in levee building.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hydraulic material handling system for handling a fluid mixtureof liquid and solid particles having a discharge means for deliveringthe fluid mixture against a series of movable concave buckets whereinthe mixture is separated into a predominantly liquid portion and apredominantly solid particles portion, the combination therewith oftrough means to intercept said liquid portion and convey it apart fromsaid solid particles portion.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein said liquidportion issues generally to the sides of said buckets and said troughmeans comprises an upper vertically oriented plate member spacedoutwardly at each side of said buckets to intercept said liquid portionand a lower trough portion to convey said liquid portion apart from saidsolid particles portion.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein said lower troughportions further comprise a conveying portion and a discharge portionhaving a liquid spreading means.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein said lower troughportions at each side of said buckets converge into a single liquidconveying member.

5. In a hydraulic material handling system for handling a fluid mixtureof liquid and solid particles having a discharge means delivering thefluid mixture against an energy absorbing impulse wheel with a pluralityof concave buckets about the periphery thereof, wherein the fluidmixture issues substantially from the concave buckets in a predominantlyliquid portion and a predominantly solid particles portion, thecombination comprising trough means to receive said liquid portion andconvey it apart from said solid particles portion.

6. The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein said liquidportion issues generally to the sides of said buckets and said troughmeans comprises an upper vertically oriented plate member spacedoutwardly at each side of said buckets to intercept said liquid portionand a lower trough portion to convey said liquid portion apart from saidsolid particles portion.

7. The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein said lower troughportions further comprise a conveying portion and a discharge portionhaving a liquid spreading means.

8. The combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein said lower troughportions at each side of said buckets converge into a single liquidconveying member.

9. In a hydraulic levee building machine for constructing a levee fromthe fluid mixture discharged from a hydraulic dredge pump having adischarge nozzle including means for connecting it to the pump, aplurality of energy absorbing movable buckets each having a concavesurface, means supporting said movable buckets in line with said nozzleso as to receive the discharge of the fluid mixture against the concavesurfaces of said buckets whereby said buckets are moved and a brakingmeans connected to said movable buckets to apply a load to the bucketsto control their velocity, whereby the absolute particle velocity of thefluid mixture is substantially reduced and issues from the buckets in asubstantially liquid portion and a substantially solid particlesportion, the combination comprising trough means to receive said liquidportion and convey it apart from said solid particles portion.

10. The combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein said liquidportion issues generally to the sides of said buckets and said troughmeans comprises an upper vertically oriented plate member spacedoutwardly at each side of said buckets to intercept said liquid portionand a lower trough portion to convey said liquid portion apart from saidsolid particles portion.

11. The combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein said lowertrough portions further comprise a conveying portion and a dischargeportion having a liquid spreading means.

12. The combination in accordance with claim 10 wherein said lowertrough portions at each side of said buckets converge into a singleconveying member having a liquid spreading discharge means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1953 Paulson 61-63 7/1967Sensibar et a1 61-63 X

1. IN A HYDRAULIC MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM FOR HANDLING A FLUID MIXTUREOF LIQUID AND SOLID PARTICLES HAVING A DISCHARGE MEANS FOR DELIVERINGTHE FLUID MIXTURE AGAINST A SERIES OF MOVABLE CONCAVE BUCKETS WHEREINTHE MIXTURE IS SEPARATED INTO A PREDOMINANTLY LIQUID PORTION AND APREDOMINANTLY SOLID PARTICLES PORTION, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OFTROUGH MEANS TO INTERCEPT SAID LIQUID PORTION AND CONVEY IT APART FROMSAID SOLID PARTICLES PORTION.